College football: BYU freshman makes game-winning field goal

Saturday night, in the first field goal attempt of his college career, freshman kicker Jake Oldroyd sent one through the uprights with eight seconds remaining in the game to bring home a victory for BYU, 18-16, over Arizona.

“It’s a great way to win a football game," said quarterback Taysom Hill to BYU Athletics.

With a bit more than a minute left in the game, Arizona led by a single point, but BYU regained possession and began to move the ball down the field. Hill led the drive and moved the Cougars into solid field goal range.

“You know you gotta have faith in your teammates,” said running back Jamaal Williams to BYU Athletics. “And honestly you just got to stay positive and you gotta believe in your teammates. I have no doubt that everyone on that sideline was believing [he was going] to make that field goal.”

BYU called a time out with eight seconds left on the clock, sending out Oldroyd to kick the game-deciding field goal.

“We had practiced it quite a bit,” said BYU head coach Kalani Sitake to BYU Athletics. “I had to lean on [Ed Lamb] as the special teams coordinator to make that decision, and I was okay with it and it worked out.”

Oldroyd’s foot connected with the ball and sent it flying straight through the goal posts. The 33-yard field goal propelled BYU into a two-point lead with four seconds on the clock.

“It was great to see [Oldroyd] coming off smiling, and it’s just great for him to have that type of accomplishment,” said Williams to BYU Athletics. “We couldn’t be prouder of him for doing something like that.”

Arizona attempted in the last seconds to change the game, but BYU regained possession after a forced fumble on the last play of the game.